This morning was extremely difficult for those of us in the fields of journalism and Middle Eastern Studies. We learned of the indescribable and painful loss of one of the masters of intrepid and respectable journalism, New York Times foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid.

I remember a year ago when he and his team were captured by Qaddafi’s security forces in Libya, and were beaten and abused. However, such a harrowing experience barely scratches the surface of Anthony Shadid’s portfolio.

I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you that modern-day journalism appears to slip off the slope of integrity, objectivity, and knowledge-based intelligent reporting of the facts. For those of us who are “Edward R. Murrow-brand purists,” journalists who meet such high standards are very rare in today’s world, especially when it comes to the tricky region of the Middle East.

Anthony Shadid stayed true to that spirit of traditional journalism with integrity, and he wrote with passion and compassion about the real people on the ground, suffering from wars and tragedies. I encourage you to read Anthony’s obituary:

The saddest irony of his demise is that he succumbed to asthma. He was a fearless war correspondent who survived bullets, bombings, beatings, and endless dangers and threats in the Middle East. Anthony Shadid, you will be sorely missed.

NOTE: Everything I write in this blog constitutes my personal opinions and views.